This invention is concerned with an adhesive applicator device having a continuous surface which is of a generally U-shaped configuration and to which adhesive is supplied and into contact with which the surface of an article to be coated with adhesive can be pressed, wherein the configuration of said surface can be varied by varying the relationship between said elements.
One such device is disclosed in e.g. UK Patent Specification No. 1,454,791, said device being suitable for use in a so-called pulling over and toe lasting machine for use in the manufacture of shoes, in the operation of which machine a shoe upper is pulled over and tensioned about a shoe last, the applicator device is then pressed into contact with the forepart portion of a shoe insole on the bottom of the shoe last, and thereafter, with the device retracted, wiper members are caused to wipe lasting marginal portions of the shoe upper, tensioned as aforesaid, over and press them against corresponding marginal portions of the insole to which the adhesive has been applied as aforesaid.
Said device comprises two elements mounted for relative pivotal movement, about a pivot arranged at or adjacent the "toe" end of the device, under a wedging action. In this way the two elements can be moved to conform to the size of the toe/forepart portion of the shoe to be operated upon. It will, however, be appreciated that the "basic" configuration of the adhesive-applying surface of the device is not altered.
In general the shape of the toe end of a shoe is found to fall into one of three "basic" categories, namely a so-called pointed toe, a so-called square toe and a so-called rounded toe, which shape the configuration of the surface of the adhesive-applying device used should match; desirably also the surface configuration should match the size of the toe end of the insole of the shoe being operated upon. Failure to match the insole configuration will of course mean that the adhesive is applied to the wrong part of the insole.
In practice, therefore, it is usually necessary to provide a pulling over and toe lasting machine with a range of applicator devices in order to be able to accommodate to the various styles and sizes of shoe to be operated upon. It will of course be appreciated that the exchange of an applicator device is time-consuming and tedious, and as a consequence compromises usually have to be reached, which thus act against the optimum application of adhesive for any given style or size.